The present invention relates to closures and containers, and in particular to closures and containers having child resistant features.
Many closures and containers include features making them difficult for children to open, thereby resisting improper access to the container contents. Often such child-resistant closures and containers are used for pharmaceutical products and similar products, which may be harmful if not used as directed or in the directed amount. For example, some containers include a series of locking lugs arranged around the circumference of the container which, in conjunction with lugs on the closure, require axial depression and then rotation of the closure to achieve removal from the container.
One problem associated with some child resistant closures and containers is that the manipulations required to achieve removal of the closure may be difficult. This may be especially true for the elderly or those afflicted with debilitating conditions such as arthritis. Other closures or containers which incorporate different types of child resistant features are often difficult to manufacture, requiring expensive molding operations, complicated post-molding manufacturing procedures, or both.
A closure according to the present invention includes an annular inner member defining an opening, the inner member having a lid base recess. The closure also includes an outer member engageable with the inner member, the outer member including a lid base, a lid hingably connected to the lid base, and an annular guard ring surrounding the lid and lid base. The annular guard ring is frangibly connected to at least one of the lid and lid base. Preferably, the components of the outer member are formed as an integral unit. When the inner member and outer member are joined, the guard ring preferably separates from the lid and lid base, and the lid base is retained at least partially within the lid base recess.